In response to the discrimination and persecution they faced in the Holy Roman Empire, Jewish communities sought refuge by migrating eastward into the Grand Duchy of Lithuania during the fifteen and sixteenth centuries. Despite experiencing violence during the 1648 Ukrainian revolt, they persisted in their movement towards the east throughout the eighteenth century, seeking safety and stability in new territories.

The partitions of Poland in the late eighteenth century significantly altered the Jewish demographic landscape, as the areas with the highest Jewish populations came under Russian control. This shift marked a new chapter for Jewish communities, further shaping their experiences and challenges in the region as detailed in Niall Ferguson's "The Abyss: World War I and the End of the First Age of Globalization."